Merlin and the Observatory
by IvyScribbles02
Summary: More than 1,000 years after Arthur's death, Merlin is still waiting for his King's return. He waits in an abandoned, yet fully decorated observatory on the shore of the Lake of Avalon. An observatory that he has decorated to his heart's content, a place truly fit for a King. He couldn't wait for the day that Arthur would see it. Work in progress - modern-day Merlin. Angst/fluff.
1. Through His Eyes

The old warlock had seen many captivating things in his time. Buildings that reached beyond the clouds, incredible displays of art and human brilliance and, of course, legendary creatures of the older age that have long gone. But even Merlin had to admit that the place he had made for himself along the side of The Lake of Avalon was one of the more beautiful things.

He didn't even refer to it as his "home"; that title belongs to Camelot and Camelot alone. No, it was more of a thing that he just...did. Or just renovated. The place he spent most of his time in modern day England.

During the early 1900s, those living near The Lake of Avalon at the time couldn't help but notice the unusual number of stars and constellations that could be seen directly above the lake. It was almost...magical. Naturally, astronomers flogged to the area and commissioned for an observatory to be built to expand their knowledge of the world beyond our own. When Merlin first heard of this idea, he thought it silly. Merlin could see all of what the sky could give him perfectly fine from where ever he was, no big telescope necessary. At least, if he sat on the tallest tree he could find. To be honest, he just didn't want dollop-headed scientists to get in his way when Arthur returned. Merlin knew Arthur was going to be incredibly confused about the world 1000+ years later; he didn't need curious scientists bombarding them.

Merlin watched each day pass as the observatory took shape. Until it was finally completed 7 months after permission was granted. Merlin was ever so glad Arthur didn't come back during the time the builders were there. He didn't want to have to wipe that many memories.

Of course, war broke out twice for England in the space of 30 years. Resulting in the observatory being re-purposed as a bunker of some sort for the war effort. Merlin didn't really know and just continued his job in waiting for Arthur. He was convinced his King would come back during the Second World War; Albion needed him after all. But he didn't. So, Merlin kept waiting.

Once the wars were over, authorities decommissioned Avalon Lake's Observatory and it was subsequently abandoned in the late 1940s. Only a few years after would Merlin decide he wanted to actually go inside and see what all the fuss was about back in the day when it was first built.

He stepped inside through the rotted door and within only 10 seconds of being there, broke a pot. A pot? "Of all things" he muttered to himself, staring at the smashed brown china on the floor. Then a certain Prince and his smashing of a pot once upon a time came to mind. Merlin smiled fondly at the memory. He walked further into the building and was surprised at how much bigger it was on the inside. Three floors high and one unofficial floor right at the top with no roof. Built for those exceptionally clear nights for astrologers to see the heavens with no aid of a telescope. Merlin fell in love with the building.

He quickly got to work.

By 2012, Merlin classed his observatory to be at its prime. He had renovated each floor to his own style, cleaned and polished the furniture (with magic, of course) and took a few trips to a shop called...IKEA? He didn't really know. What he did know was that they sold gorgeous golden lights that would go well with a particular floor. Even if they were powered by magic and not battery.

The first floor was what many would call a general living space. Granted, it was the floor that Merlin spent the least time on. Along with kitchen facilities, it had a lounge space with a blue corner settee, a television and a few coffee tables. A window, that might as well have been the wall, that gave Merlin a view that he had grown so familiar with. The glistening waters of Avalon that he had waited by for centuries. Merlin thought he would be waiting for centuries more, giving his desire to renovate the observatory a further push.

It was the second floor that was quite possibly Merlin's favourite. Definitely not because this was where the golden lights came in. It was a beautiful, serene area filled with old artefacts that Merlin had collected over the centuries and stored in his old hut. Old goblets, jewellery with faded gems and many other otherwise ancient items laced the oak tables in the room. If not on the tables, on any shelf with a free space. He even had a dusty record player and gramophone in one corner. But the main spectacle of this floor was without a doubt, the seemingly endless collection of books and documents painted in golden light.

Merlin had a section for everything. Spell books, works of early fiction, Greek mythology, diagrams of constellations, music sheets and copies of scripts from the Shakespearean era. All of which well loved, but not faded. Like how every book should feel. You name it, Merlin had it. But his most precious part of his library was that of the texts of Arthurian Legend. He kept that part of the floor in the best condition he could maintain. Most books published with even a hint of the legend of King Arthur in its words was kept by Merlin and placed there once he moved in. Whilst the display was in flawless condition, these particular books were not. Rather, Merlin had scribbled all over bits that were wrong in each book. Such phrases like: "WRONG!" "NOT EVEN CLOSE" "I ACTUALLY SAVED HIM THAT TIME" "NO, HE WAS A COMPLETE CLOTPOLE" "I DID THAT!" were written in red pencil in each account of Arthurian Legend. Immature? Maybe. Entertaining? Absolutely.

Wax candles hung from black candle holders from the ceiling, over grown flowers dangled from the tops of shelves and from the high windows. Wind chimes crashed softy together all day, the smell in the air was refreshing yet held a timeless simplicity. The whole floor really was an unimaginable beauty, so it's understandable why Merlin claimed this as his sleeping chambers. A simple bed in perfect view of the entire floor was all he needed.

That wasn't even the last floor.

Whilst Merlin adored the Library of Avalon (as he dubbed it), he knew at the time when he moved in that he'd have to incorporate the gaping telescope on the third floor of the observatory somehow. In one of his many efforts to fit in with modern day humans, he decided to see what all the fuss was about in staring at the night sky. But this time, with proper equipment.

Basically, he became an astronomer himself. Merlin documented new stars and constellations that he was sure hadn't been discovered yet. With each new cosmic sighting, Merlin would paint it on the ceiling above him, adjacent to where he saw it in the sky. He even added some findings from old astrology onto his artwork. By the 1990s, the ceiling had been replaced by waves of golden stars, depictions of the planets and a plethora of constellations like no other. And Merlin just kept enhancing it with more over the next few decades. The background of the ceiling and the walls of the entire third floor were painted dark blue so Merlin could feel immersed in space.

The walls of this floor held maps, worn and ripped, of Old Albion and other places across the world that Merlin found the most fascinating. As well as his own made charts of the inky blackness above.

Merlin had deliberately left a part of one wall unoccupied for a specific reason. If Arthur ever came...when Arthur came back, he wanted his help in painting a picture of Camelot. Merlin had known Camelot well, but Arthur had lived there during his childhood and had some of his best times there. It was his home. Like how it was Merlin's. So, he left that part blank as he continued to wait for his Kings return.

Little did Merlin know; he wouldn't be waiting for much longer.


	2. Something in the Water

Had it been like every normal day, Merlin would've woken up at around 8 a.m. to be in for work for the following hour. His mind, on the other hand, had different ideas. He slowly opened his eyes to realise that it was darker than usual in his library for the time he usually woke up. Turning over to his alarm clock, he grimaced at what it showed.

6 a.m. Damnit. He'd had 4 hours of sleep and knew he wouldn't be able to get anymore now with the way he felt. So, the Warlock slipped out of bed and headed to the staircase leading to the first floor of the observatory.

On his way down, Merlin thought back to the dream he had just woken up from. He had been having weird dreams for a few weeks now and they were only getting more and more annoying as they kept pulling him from his sleep. Fuzzy visions of red and gold, whispers from an unrecognisable deep voice and the sound of crashing water were just some of the things he dreamt of. It was the final feeling of what he thought was a wave striking him in his dream that finally jolted him from unconsciousness.

Snapping back into reality, Merlin realised he had reached the bottom of the staircase and didn't even notice. He sighed, then simply got on with his early morning. He prepared himself a light breakfast but didn't feel like eating at all. But Merlin knew he couldn't function without food or be of any use at all at his job if he didn't. Once he had finished, he made his way through various floors of the observatory to get what he needed for work. Then he stopped on the first floor to do what he did every morning.

He gazed at the Lake of Avalon. Despite it looking the same as it did over 1000 years ago, Merlin always took in this same view every single morning before he got on with his day. Ever since he started leaving the observatory more regularly, it was the last thing he did before leaving. He stared at its radiant water, wishing every bloody time that he did that someone was standing there, looking undoubtedly confused yet still so powerful.

Merlin would just have to keep waiting. Because Arthur wasn't there this morning. Nor was he there yesterday, last month, last year or even centuries ago when Merlin was waiting then. Every time he stared out into the lake and no one was there, his insides twisted. But Kilgharrah's words all that time ago still lingered in Merlin's mind:

"Arthur is not just a King. He is the once and future King. Take heart. For when Albion's need is greatest, Arthur will rise again."

His mind would turn to these words whenever Merlin was feeling particularly grey. Which was getting more and more often these days. Yet, they still fueled him with hope and determination to keep going. 'Arthur would want that' the Warlock thought to himself.

With one last glance of the lake, Merlin turned for the door and made his way to the city centre. The path he took allowed for him to take in as much forest air as possible before reaching the grimy air of the city. The simplicity of clean air was something that Merlin had learned to love, especially in the past 100 years or so.

Merlin worked, rather fittingly, at the city library. He couldn't help it, he loved being around books in any magnitude. The building itself was also fairly tall, allowing for Merlin to just be able to see the lake whenever he gaped out of the windows. As well as this, he only had to walk about 10-15 minutes each day to get to the city library. Meaning if anything crazy happened at the lake while Merlin was on shift, he didn't have very far to run. Even after having this job for several years now, Merlin still hadn't made up an excuse in his mind to tell his boss if he suddenly just ran out of work like a bat out of hell. No matter, he'd think of one when the time came.

The days shift had gone fairly normally. Grumpy students asked him where they could find their textbooks and kindly old ladies asked the nice young man where the bathroom was. Merlin actually did not retain the appearance of an old sorcerer after a while. He much preferred to look younger and so used his magic to keep him looking that way. Whilst he looked mostly the same from the age of Camelot, he had let his hair grow out more so it had little black curls to it. Merlin had also allowed himself to grow dark face stubble in his new take on youth. He felt as if it improved him, even if he was the last person to admit it.

At the end of the day, Merlin fetched his bag from the locker-room and headed for the observatory. Tiredness quickly caught up to him on his journey back, whilst Merlin only hoped that he could catch up on his sleep tonight. It was about 6.00 p.m. by the time the Lake of Avalon came into his full sight again that day, meaning he wasn't far from the observatory now. But for some reason, this walk back seemed to be taking a longer than usual for Merlin. As he walked past a familiar tree, he started to see visions similar to the dreams he'd been having. He stopped dead in his tracks, the thunderous roar of water ringing in his ears, resulting in the man stumbling heavily backward and nearly hitting the ground. Once he'd regained his composure, Merlin shook his head and wrote it off as his bleary state of mind playing tricks on him. He also considered that it could have been the lack of food in his system, so made a mental note to actually eat something once he got back. About 10 minutes later, the Warlock finally reached the front door of the observatory, muttering a spell and waving his hand so the door would open for him. It was lazy, Merlin knew that, but today he really couldn't care less.

He settled down at one end of the settee on the first floor with a plate full of spaghetti. Merlin could honestly not be bothered to eat anything more. Switching the TV over to the news, Merlin tried to relax himself. Almost as if he was training his body how to do so, like he was stimulating it to sleep better that night.

Merlin had almost fallen asleep with a plate full of food on his belly when he heard a faint white noise develop in the air. Puzzled, he stood up and stared around the room to find nothing reasonable that could be making that noise. He briefly thought that this could be his sleep deprivation kicking in again, but that idea vanished from his mind when the noise grew from faint to pretty damn loud. There was no way he could be imagining that. His puzzled state melted into alarm and he ran up the staircase of the observatory to investigate the other floors. Nothing. His senses were becoming overloaded, he could feel his magic seething within him as his defense mechanism. Then, Merlin realised that the noise, which sounded like a harmonic ringing, was probably coming from outside. Dashing to the first floor again, his eyes fixed themselves onto the lake outside the window, only to see that a part of the water was glowing bright gold like it was a star itself. Which was completely norm…

Merlin's mind raced. Wait. That wasn't normal.

With quite possibly the sharpest intake of breath any man has ever drawn, Merlin turned and bolted for the door, suddenly filled with energy he hadn't felt since the days of Camelot.

Sprinting around the observatory, Merlin didn't even have to be in the water to be able to feel the magic thriving from it. It was insane. Like nothing he had ever felt. It only kept growing the closer he drew to the shores of Avalon.

Merlin knew this had to be it. This must have been the moment. The moment he had waited for over a thousand years must have been this. He had one person on his mind and one person alone. Once he reached the water, he made no hesitation in ploughing through it, until he was standing in the centre of the golden light coming from the lake. He searched around frantically, splashing desperately with breaths heavy. Whatever noise had started earlier had now ceased, it was all just silence for Merlin.

Then the light faded underneath him. "No, no…" Merlin pleaded weakly. His breaths now heavier and eyes welling with tears. He thought he was too late. "ARTHUR!" he screamed his King's name but to no avail. Merlin held his head in his hands and began to sob, his back turned on the observatory. He had failed again. He couldn't save him.

"Merlin?" a voice broke from behind.

The Warlock's eyes widened as his hands moved back to the side of his body. He moved his head to turn to the voice but didn't believe it was real. Slowly, his head turned to face it anyway. He was afraid if he turned too fast it might vanish.

A man dressed in chainmail stared back into Merlin's crystal blue eyes, which were now indefinitely laced with tears. There in front of him stood the once and future King, Arthur Pendragon, looking identical to the day Merlin last saw him. The King bore a confused but happy expression on his face to see the raven-haired man that stood before him.

Merlin thought his knees would buckle.

"Arthur…" Merlin managed through a smile and tears that accompanied it. Arthur was actually there, in the lake with him, looking like a complete dollop-head.

Arthur made the first move. Joyful laughter escaped his mouth as he ran to Merlin despite being mere meters away from him, with Merlin quickly following suit. In no time at all, Arthur had pulled Merlin into a fierce embrace whilst Merlin hugged tightly back, as if he would never let go. They were both laughing through content tears. Merlin still couldn't quite believe it.

The reunited pair stood in each other's arms in the lake, not really wanting to let the other go. Arthur had questions of course, but he decided they could wait. What was important now was that Merlin was there with him. Nothing was going to stop Arthur Pendragon from hugging his Merlin at that moment, and Merlin certainly wasn't going to argue.

The waters of Avalon brushed up against the pair as their long-awaited hug continued. Merlin smiled brighter than the lake from moments ago.

What he had waited for had finally come.


	3. Reconciliation and Remembering

"Merlin…" Arthur broke the sound of laughter from the two and sounded serious for a second. "Why are we…in a lake? I don't…"

"Shush, you clotpole, I'm not finished with this hug yet."

Arthur smiled fondly at the use of Merlin's nickname for him, he had always loved it. That and the many other nicknames Merlin had used over the years.

He let out more laughter. "Neither am I."

The two stood there for a minute longer just taking it all in. Merlin was feeling happiness like no other just being in Arthur's arms and the King didn't plan to let go of his warlock anytime soon. Then, Arthur felt what Merlin was wearing once the initial shock of seeing him again had gone, only to not feel Merlin's usual thin brown jacket that the idiot would wear every day. Or even his neckerchief for that matter, the material he was wearing was much softer and dark blue, definitely not his usual attire. Finally, the pair pulled away from each other, giving Arthur the chance to get a proper look at Merlin.

Arthur had to blink several times to believe it, his former manservant looked so different, what with his newfound beard and curlier hair. His face was also more defined than he remembered. Despite thinking that Merlin probably knew what he looked like, Arthur just had to point it out.

"Is it my imagination or do you look different?" He played dumb, not wanting to simply say the fine details he noticed out loud.

"Well done, sire." The warlock shook his head. "Is it the beard? Don't you like it?" Merlin added, trying to ignite their playful banter he had so dearly missed.

Arthur pulled a massive grin and averted his gaze to look at the water he was standing in. He laughed again as if he was in disbelief.

"Yes, you idiot! It looks… you… look great." He stumbled over his words as he raised his head back up to face Merlin.

Merlin formed his mouth into an O shape, as that wasn't what he thought Arthur would come out with, but he accepted it anyway. Both of them remained opposite each other for a few more moments, still in disbelief over the other's presence.

Arthur began to take in his surroundings. The land he found himself in with Merlin was familiar to him, he recognised it. Yet somehow, everything felt so different, even the air.

"Merlin, where exactly are we?" he asked with a voice that almost seemed frightened, which Merlin picked up on.

"It's alright, we're in the Lake of Avalon, quite literally." The two looked down at their soaked legs and grimaced, their minds let slip the fact that they were beyond knee-deep in water during their reunion.

"Ah." Both of them expressed in unison.

"Let's maybe get out of the lake?" Merlin chirped and smiled at Arthur, with Arthur returning it fondly.

"One of the best ideas you've ever had, Merlin."

Merlin thought that somehow his face would stop working because it ached so much. But he didn't care, he hadn't smiled this much in literal centuries. He and his King were interacting with each other as if no time had passed between them, all the memories of Camelot suddenly flooded Merlin's mind and escaped through tears as the pair trudged out of the lake.

"Merlin, are you crying?"

Even Merlin didn't realise he was crying, again. "Don't you mean 'are you crying again?'" he joked to Arthur about his emotional state.  
"Yes, I think I do. You were earlier." Arthur looked closely at Merlin and quickly remembered that he hated seeing Merlin upset. "What has upset you?"

"You dollop-head. I'm not upset, I'm happy. You're back, after all."

Arthur didn't quite know what Merlin meant by that but decided it would be better to ask him later. He could tell his manservant was incredibly emotional and didn't want to press him.

"Indeed, Merlin. I do seem to be here." He played along to try and get Merlin to stop crying, he despised seeing Merlin cry. Luckily for Arthur, Merlin did cease crying for a moment and the two continued out of the lake to the shores of Avalon.

"I expect you're hungry, right?" Merlin asked the King, who was feeling pretty damn hungry himself at this point. "I'll make you something at my place."

"Your place? And where exactly is your place?"  
"That building there, the one you're walking towards, your majesty." Merlin responded wittily.

Arthur studied it carefully, it looked absolutely nothing like any structure he'd ever seen in his life. "That doesn't look like your home in Ealdor."

Merlin reminisced for a moment at his old village, he smiled fondly. In Merlin's heart, Camelot was his home, but he would never forget Ealdor. After all, it would always remind him of his mother. "That's because it's not, it's…my new place."

Arthur let out a small laugh. "It looks pretty big just for you, Merlin." He remarked as the pair reached the shore, Arthur looking further at the observatory as they spoke.

"Oh, believe me, I've made use of the space." Merlin smiled proudly to himself. The warlock could not wait to show his King what he had created inside of the building they stood before, his only worry at that moment was if he remembered to clean that week.

Merlin and Arthur approached the front door of the observatory within a few minutes of exiting the water, simply enjoying each other's company as they walked. Both of them had missed the other so much, yet Arthur still didn't know how long he'd missed it for.

Merlin reached his hand for the handle, only to realise it was stuck. It seemed that his last hasty exit of the observatory made the door jam and could not be opened normally. His brows knitted together as he realised this, letting out an annoyed sigh.

Arthur's expression quickly shifted from amazement at the outside of the observatory to one of concern as he looked at Merlin. "Merlin, what's wrong?"

"The door's stuck, I'm going to have to open it using…" Merlin froze his words. A feeling of dread was now present in the pit of his stomach, his mind raced in a million different directions, all reaching one thought and one thought only.

Did Arthur remember that he had magic?


	4. 1,000 Years, New Beginnings

Merlin's breathing was almost uncontrollable. He was stuck in swirling thoughts he couldn't escape from, as if a parasite had grown in his mind.

"Merlin…"

What if he really didn't remember? What if Arthur, his King, the one he used to use magic solely for, didn't remember?

"Merlin…"

Arthur would hate him all over again, just like he did when he first told him. Merlin couldn't bear that thought on top of everything else. He felt like he was going to faint if a familiar voice had not brought him out of his caged mind.

"Merlin!" a worried Arthur shouted as he spun his friend round by the shoulders, desperate to snap him out of whatever the hell he was in.

Merlin looked at Arthur, his mouth slightly open and his chest rising and falling too quick for his body. He had tears in his eyes again as he stared into the King's.

"I…I have to…have to use…" Merlin barely muttered.

Arthur only had to see Merlin's eyes to be heartbroken. He could see the pain the man was feeling, he felt it himself. Then, he realised what Merlin was getting at and gave him a soft smile.

"You have to use your magic, don't you?" Arthur replied through a smile.

Merlin let out a short exhale that sounded like the start of a laugh. "You…remember? You really remember?"

"Of course I do, Merlin. How could I possibly forget that? You really are a dollophead." responded Arthur, still smiling softly at Merlin. He needed Merlin to know that he accepted him.

And just like that, the clouds in Merlin's mind parted to reveal just what he had wanted to see for over a thousand years, which was Arthur standing in front of him, knowing of his magic, and not hating him. Just like how the pair had been during Arthur's final moments, where Arthur had really come to accept who he was.

Merlin had cherished that moment for many centuries, and now it had come again in a different form, in a different world, with the same person.

His exhale drew out into a happy laugh through tears as he faced the ground, with Arthur following his every move.

"That's a good start then." Merlin said through his laughter, wiping away tears that joined it.

Arthur's smile grew fonder the more he looked at Merlin being happy, remembering all those adventures they had as he did so. He wanted to keep seeing Merlin happy no matter what.

"Come on then, Merlin." Arthur continued. "Let's get this door open, I'm freezing in this armour, you know."

"Ah, of course, your royal pratness." Merlin responded, feeling like his old self again as he turned to face the door.

Arthur could only laugh at the remark. Then, he watched as Merlin muttered a spell and waved his hand over the door handle. He watched in awe as the door opened slowly to Merlin's command, creaking as it did so. The door fully opened, leading Arthur to stop staring at Merlin for a second and look at the scene before him.

To Merlin, the door opening revealed a familiar sight, one that he had grown accustomed to for decades now. But for Arthur, the room he stared into bore so many unfamiliar objects and items that he could not name. His head moved with his eyes, scanning the room from the door like he was in a trance.  
Merlin expected this and quickly spoke. "It's alright, Arthur. You can come in, you know." He said as he stepped through the door.

Arthur followed not saying a word, his mouth agape. He continued to be in his trance-like state until he heard Merlin close the door behind them. Only then did he speak since seeing the room for the first time.

"Merlin…everything looks so…different…" he spoke, sounding taken aback. "I can barely recognise anything!" Arthur claimed, dumbstruck.

"Yeah…don't worry it's fine, nothing is going to hurt you." Merlin reassured. "A lot has changed since…"

Arthur pried his eyes from the room for a second to look back at his friend. His heart sank as he realised what Merlin was going to say.

"Since I died?" Arthur asked, already knowing the answer. Merlin only nodded. "I remember…" his eyebrows knitted together as he came to realise something rather odd. "Right…then…wait…how am I back!?"

Merlin looked awkwardly at his King. "Do you want me to tell you what I know?"

"Please, Merlin." Arthur looked desperately at his friend, clearly very confused at that moment.

"Alright, I will. But first, you need some food. Go sit yourself down over there and I'll bring you some."

Arthur did as he was told. He sat down on the long, soft blue chair that Merlin pointed at that gave him a great view of the Lake of Avalon. He found comfort in staring at the lake, it was the only thing he really recognised. That and Merlin, of course.

Said warlock was in his kitchen at that moment thinking of something quick and simple he could make for Arthur, that wouldn't potentially scare him. He decided on a sandwich. Only a few minutes later did Merlin return to Arthur, handing him a plate and a glass of water.  
Arthur smiled at Merlin again, taking the plate and glass. "Very good, Merlin. Thank you."

Merlin smiled fondly back, "You're welcome, clotpole." He responded as he sat himself down opposite Arthur in a chair, not allowing his back to rest against it.

The King looked at his former manservant's lack of food. "You're not eating with me?"

"I ate earlier, thanks." In truth, Merlin just wanted to wait a little bit before he ate again. He knew he would be fine.

The pair chatted about what Arthur was eating for a few minutes as well as what Merlin ate earlier, almost losing themselves in conversation.

Arthur finished his sandwich and turned to peer out to the lake again. Sighing, he turned back to Merlin sitting opposite him, who already knew what he was going to say.

"I'll tell you, if you're ready, Arthur."

Arthur let out a deep breath, mentally preparing himself as well as physically. "Can't think of any better time, Merlin." He smiled at the raven-haired man. "Please."

Now it was Merlin's turn for a deep breath as he prepared himself the same way as if he had rehearsed what he was about to say before a million or so times. He sat forward in his chair, gazing at Arthur.

"When you died, the Great Dragon, Kilgharrah, came to me." Merlin switched his gaze to the waters beyond the window and sighed. "He took us here, to the lake, where he told me there was nothing I could do to save you, Arthur."

Arthur took in every word that Merlin was saying, not realising that his face looked like that of a kicked puppy as he listened to his friend. He gestured for Merlin to continue.

Merlin took the hint. "Kilgharrah told me that you would rise again, when Albion's need is greatest, which is apparently now…" Merlin looked distantly at the floor for a second, why had Arthur come back now? He didn't mind, of course, but why now? What was Albion's need?

"Merlin?" softly spoke Arthur to Merlin, who had noticed he was distracted. Arthur was worried about him, not annoyed.

"Sorry." He replied as he snapped back to what he was saying. "That's what Kilgharrah told me. After he left, I sent you into the lake on a boat. Not really knowing what to do with myself." Merlin was visibly shaken at the memory he had just described, which Arthur noticed.

"It's okay, Merlin. I'm here now." Arthur tried to reassure his friend, not wanting to see him upset again.

"I know, and I'm happy about that, more than anything." Merlin smiled at Arthur; his eyes glassy. "I suppose I only wish you hadn't taken so long, my lord."

Arthur stared at Merlin in confusion, as if he had just said something that didn't make sense.

"So long? How long…Merlin…" the King looked deeper into his warlock's eyes, on edge to know the answer to his next question. "How long have I been dead?"

Merlin gave Arthur a sad smile and peered downwards, he knew this would come up sooner rather than later, and he knew he had to be honest with Arthur.

"I've been waiting for you to return for…1,300 years, Arthur."

A pin could've dropped in the whole observatory and the two men would've heard it. It was just silence for the two as Arthur tried to process the words that came out of Merlin's lips, the words that should have been impossible for any man to take in.

"You've…been waiting…all that time…for me to return?" Arthur said with a quiet, pained voice. Almost willing for Merlin to be joking, just like he always used to do.  
But this time, he wasn't.

"You are the once and future king, Arthur. It is, and always has been, my destiny to serve you. Like I told you all those years ago. That hasn't changed, but this world has. It still needs you, Arthur." Merlin stared intently at Arthur, hoping he was understanding what he was saying. He was trying to make everything as clear as possible for his King.

Arthur, on the other hand, turned to the lake, his mind repeating the same things over and over again. He had been dead for over a thousand years, Merlin had waited for over a thousand years, for him. Everyone and everything he knew was no doubt gone, except Merlin. He questioned the logistics of Merlin still being here but remembered that he was the 'greatest sorcerer to ever walk the Earth.' putting it aside as probably being due to that little detail.

"I…I can't believe it." Arthur muttered to Merlin, but it was a lie. He believed it, he believed all of it. But he wouldn't have done if it were not Merlin who told him. At this point, Merlin had turned to face the lake with Arthur, finding just as much comfort in it.

"I know it's insane, but it's true." Merlin smiled at the beauty of the lake as he realised what the next step the pair had to take was. "We will figure this out together, clotpole. I promise I will not leave your side."

Arthur detracted from his inner thoughts at Merlin's remark, turning to him and smiling brightly at his warlock.

"And I promise not to leave you again."


	5. The Golden Library

Merlin stood to take Arthur's plate away as the pair exchanged meaningful looks. But Arthur intervened before he had the chance to do so.

"No no, don't worry. I'll take it." Arthur said as he himself stood up, taking the empty plate with him. Leaving Merlin with a puzzled expression.

"If my memory serves me correct, Merlin. I do believe you told me that if I wanted a servant in the next life, to not ask you." He added as he gingerly approached what he assumed was Merlin's dining table, studying the room further as he went. He turned around briefly to give the raven-haired man a knowing smile, which he returned.  
"Though I have to admit, I might need some help getting used to this place…" Arthur trailed off as he spotted a modern-day tap on Merlin's counter, looking bewildered at it.

Merlin sighed at Arthur, but in a good way. As if he was saying 'oh boy' in his head. If Arthur was getting bewildered on this floor, what on earth was he going to be like on the other two?

"Whatever you say, Sire. And you know this isn't the only room in the place, right?" he said as he grinned at Arthur.

"I'm not an idiot, Merlin. I could see from the outside that there were more rooms. I'm not even entirely sure that you need them." Arthur responded with a joking tone.

"Oh, believe me, I need them." Merlin's words held the truth. The other two floors of the observatory held a lot of significance for him, they made him the happiest he could be in a time when he was so glum. For decades now, he had waited for Arthur to see it. As nice as the observatory was to live in, Merlin hadn't decorated it entirely for himself. In truth, he had been trying to make it as much like a castle as possible. A substitution of some sort.

A place fit for a King, which it truly was.  
"Well then." Arthur started, trying to look suave whilst leaning against the counter. Which he wasn't doing very well at. "I suggest you lead the way."

Arthur watched as Merlin made a gesture to follow him, with the pair ending up at the bottom of the first flight of stairs. The warlock then made room for Arthur to go first.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Arthur questioned, wondering if he got up to the next floor, he might be too taken aback to enter it fully.

"Yes, I promise it's fine. Just get up the stairs, prat." Merlin answered back, concealing a devious smirk. Arthur turned on the stairs to glare at Merlin but only laughed at the remark instead. Which in turn, made Merlin laugh.

That was until Arthur made it to the top step. Where he just…froze. Like time had stopped just for him to take in what he was seeing. Slowly, he stepped up to the level of the floor and walked even slower forwards. His eyes captivated on the room he was in, scanning each area that was visible from where he stood.

Merlin moved next to the King and remained silent, not wanting to potentially startle Arthur as it looked like he was in a trance. He too stared at the room, realising how much more beautiful it was that day with the inclusion of the sunlight beaming into it. The overgrown flowers scattered in the higher areas were in full bloom, making the whole floor smell divine. There wasn't as much dust as Merlin was expecting since he couldn't remember if he had cleaned that week. Everything was in its rightful place.

Except for Arthur, who was utterly lost both in person and for words. The King had ambled to the middle of the room at this point, mouth agape. Merlin decided he should probably say something.

"Arthur? Are you…alright?" Merlin wished he knew exactly what to say to him, but he had no idea what was going through Arthur's mind.

Arthur finally spoke for the first time since he saw the room. "This room…I…it's incredible!" passion burned in Arthur's words, he really meant it, after all. He made his way over to one of the oak tables, yearning to get a closer look at the items on it.

Merlin was slightly taken aback by his passion, but he welcomed it. Smiling away, he continued "Well, I'm glad you think that. It was a lot of work, you know." He said as he followed Arthur to the same oak table.

The King paused and turned fully to his warlock, one hand resting on the table, the other to his side. "You mean to tell me…you…made all of this?" he questioned as one of his hands moved to indicate the whole room. Arthur's voice was full of confusion and amazement.

"I wouldn't say 'made' but I have collected most of the things in here. I kind of just…decorated it really." Merlin answered in truth.

Arthur looked in sheer amazement at Merlin, then back to some parts of the room. Arthur thought it was a beautiful sight. Everything was painted in golden light, endless books draped each shelf, it was indescribably astonishing to stand in.

Arthur couldn't help but think that the room perfectly represented Merlin. The books were a sign of wisdom, and the sheer amount of books Merlin had showed how much wisdom he possessed, even if he didn't always show it, the idiot. Then, there was the golden light. The colour of magic, the colour Arthur had seen Merlin's eyes flash whenever he used magic. He had seen his eyes flash that colour both before he died and today.

Arthur had been told all his life to not trust magic, that the people who use it should be sentenced to death, that those who practice it are corrupted and evil. He had seen such sorcerers back in Camelot, but not in Merlin. It was Merlin who showed him that magic was not evil, Merlin who showed him that only the people who yield it wrongfully are evil. It was the gold in Merlin's eyes that he trusted with his life.

So, Arthur Pendragon happily smiled at the gold in the room.

"It's amazing, Merlin. You've done one hell of a job." He said to his friend as he turned to fully face the room, his voice now filled with truth.

Merlin couldn't believe it. Arthur really liked it, he was really here and he liked what Merlin had done. "Thanks, Arthur." Was all he could utter at that moment, as he was too happy to think straight.  
As the windchimes clattered against one another, filling the room with a gorgeous melody, Arthur followed the table he was nearest to. He traced his gloved hand against the wood and paused at a few of the items that Merlin possessed. Each one was in good condition, despite the odd faded areas and dust here and there. Arthur remained entranced, smiling at the objects and being impressed that Merlin managed to keep them in the condition they were in. He figured that some of them must be centuries old, but he had yet to see something he really recognised. Something from Camelot.

"It's a bit of a mess." Merlin said out of nowhere. Arthur didn't agree, he thought everything was laid out perfectly. "They're only out because I like to look at them."

Arthur looked at Merlin, knowing there was more to his words than what he said. Which made Merlin smiled sheepishly. "And I needed something to fill the empty space." He added, lengthening the 'and' like he'd been caught not telling the truth.

"It's impressive, Merlin. Though all these books seem to fill the space quite nicely. How many do you have?" Arthur asked, genuinely curious.

"Way too many." His answer made Arthur look at him with a doubtful face.

"I think by that you mean 'not enough'?" the King inquired. He knew Merlin too well.

"Something like that." The warlock responded and broke out into a small laugh. He couldn't hide his love for books from Arthur. It was just too easy to see. Arthur returned the laugh, taking a mental note to have a closer look at the books later. He continued to the end of the table until he spotted something that looked all too familiar.

Towards the end of the fine wood table, a small rounded object lay on some brown cloth. Merlin quickly realised what Arthur had seen and moved to be closer to him, smiling even more now. Gently, Arthur grasped the object in his hand and brought it closer to him, staring at it in disbelief. Like how he had felt when he first saw the room and Merlin for that matter.

"Merlin…I can't believe it…is this…" Arthur had tears welling up in his eyes and wasn't able to finish his question. But Merlin answered anyway.

"Your mother's sigil? Yes. I kept it in the best condition I could."  
Arthur tried to compose himself. Merlin had actually kept the sigil. His own mother's sigil, the exact one that he had given to Merlin a lifetime ago. And it was in great condition, probably the best out of all the items on the table. The King was stuck in a state of awe.

"I used to keep it on me at all times, but I became terrified of losing it. I keep it where I can always see it." Merlin added to Arthur's revelation.

Arthur was rendered speechless for about the fifth time that day. Merlin had never seen him in such a state where he could hardly speak. Any other servant from Camelot's age might have found their master's silence a blessing, but not Merlin. He suddenly became worried about his friend.

"Arthur?" he asked, trying to snap him out of his trance. Much like how Arthur had tried to snap Merlin out of his earlier.

Arthur let out a sharp exhale. His mind had harkened back to what he knew of his mother. He might have known very little about her, but he knew she would be proud of him. He turned to face Merlin again, bearing a reminiscent smile.

"Thank you, Merlin, for keeping this. You have no idea how much that means to me." Uttered Arthur, his heart full of light for Merlin and what he had done. He was absolutely besotted at the place, suddenly remembering that there was another floor. He couldn't wait to see what was up there. To see what else Merlin had done.

In no time at all, Arthur had pulled Merlin into yet another embrace. Merlin wasn't expecting it and let out a small "oh!" before melting into the hug.

"You really are quite the hugger today, aren't you Sire?" Merlin said jokingly to Arthur's back.

"Shut up and hug me, you idiot." Arthur responded fondly.

To which Merlin happily obeyed.


	6. Scrolls of the Stars

Far beyond the windows of the observatory, the sun was just beginning to set. This was something that Merlin had become all too familiar with.

Despite being countless centuries-old, Merlin was no stranger to the current happenings of the world. He'd seen for himself how people, particularly couples, would long to see the perfect sunset. To have that at the end of a date to make it more romantic or special. He knew this but didn't really see what all the fuss was about. At least, not yet he didn't.

The sun had set well over a hundred thousand times for Merlin, he didn't think it was anything special. In all honesty, it bored him.

That was until he saw the sunlight fade that evening. The licks of sunlight drew back from the room, fading away from every object they touched, every part of the walls and shelves. That was when Merlin got excited all over again that day.

After all, Arthur would be able to see the stars much clearer if it were dark.

The warlock let out an excited gasp from behind the King, as his head was currently buried in his neck. Unfortunately, Arthur mistook this as something wrong with his friend and jumped back to check on Merlin. Maybe Arthur had hugged Merlin so hard that he couldn't breathe? Or had Merlin seen something in the room that shouldn't be there? Arthur thought of several different scenarios in his head and was ready to spring into action for any one of them.

What he didn't think of was that Merlin was just being his usual self, a little over-excited at times.

"Are you alright?" said Arthur worriedly to the other man whilst simultaneously checking him over in case he was visibly hurt. He was eternally relieved to see nothing obviously wrong but still needed Merlin to say something.

"What? Yeah…I'm fine." Merlin responded; his thoughts were like a whirlpool, hard to escape from. "Really fine, actually."

Arthur smiled at the notion that his friend was okay, remembering just how much of a dramatic idiot Merlin was at times. He was so bloody relieved that he hadn't lost that in all those years he waited. Arthur didn't know how he would have coped if he was the one who waited, but Merlin did cope, and Arthur was determined to prove how grateful he was.

"Soo, what does that mean then?"  
"Ah, it's a surprise, my lord. All you have to do is follow me."

Arthur's internal 'I'd follow you anywhere' didn't make it beyond his lips.

"If you're going to take me to the other floor, Merlin, I'm afraid I might not take it in so smoothly." Arthur admitted as he turned to place his mother's sigil back on the table. Arthur was longing to see what else Merlin had done with this place. To see if it could live up to the dimension that this floor held. But of course, he couldn't let Merlin know that easily.

"No no! You'll be fine. Well…maybe…" the warlock thought for a moment. He turned and ran to an area of the room that Arthur had yet to see. Arthur saw Merlin move so fast that he thought he was going to fall over, so naturally went after him.

He stopped and watched the other man as he rummaged his way through various large scrolls kept in a huge plant pot. They varied in size and age, evident by their colour. But it was clear that Merlin was looking for a particular one. Arthur was so captivated on Merlin actually focusing on doing something so intensely, that he didn't notice just how many plant pots of scrolls there were.

After about a minute of "Come on where is it?" and "I think it's in this one." He finally pulled out an awfully worn, yellowish scroll, along with the biggest smile on his face. Arthur laughed. Typical Merlin he thought, always losing things.

Merlin's scroll was kept together by a velvet red ribbon, a colour that looked incredibly royal. Like the capes Arthur, the knights and sometimes Merlin used to wear.

"What have you got there?" he said with a smile. Then, he remembered a conversation he and Merlin had that started similarly. Only this time, Merlin wasn't putting a hole in Arthur's belt, but he was still hiding something. Arthur spoke again before Merlin got the chance to respond. "And don't say 'nothing' like you haven't just gone through every scroll you've got there."

Merlin also smiled at the memory of him putting another hole in Arthur's belt. He knew he couldn't lie to Arthur either, so decided to stretch out this little mystery further.

"That's for me to know and you to find out, your royal pratness." Merlin responded as he grabbed Arthur's arm and led him to the stairs, the scroll tightly snug under his arm. "Come on, there's something I want to show you."

Arthur yelped in surprise but didn't flinch from Merlin's grip to his arm. He laughed excitedly as he was taken to the staircase that led further up the observatory, giving the library a few more looks on the way to try and take more of it in. He found himself staring at the back of Merlin's head by the time the pair reached the top of the stairs. This time, Merlin stepped onto the floor first, allowing Arthur to step up in his own time.  
It was the ceiling that Arthur took in first. He felt as if he had stepped into a magical dimension of some sort from the moment he saw it. He actually wasn't expecting the room to be as dark as it was, considering the other room had been so stunningly bright. This room had an entirely different feel to it, like whenever you looked up, you felt as if you were somewhere else. Little did Arthur know that this was the idea.

Arthur was sure that even though he was once royalty, he had never seen such extravagant paintings in his life. Where he moved his eyes to see more of them, his head followed. He was like an awe-struck child.

"They're stars." Merlin started from the other side of the room; Arthur hadn't noticed that he had gone to put the scroll down. He re-joined him moments later after placing it next to an empty part of the wall, standing next to his bewildered King. "I started charting them about 25 years ago, haven't really stopped since."

Arthur found himself in disbelief again at Merlin's words. There he was, looking up to one of the most amazing things he had ever seen, that Merlin had just admitted he created. Arthur scolded himself mentally, of bloody course Merlin had done this, he had seen for himself what he had done below him. Like before, he moved to the middle of the room to soak it all in.

Once his eyes gazed upon the telescope, Arthur became transfixed by that too. He was mostly trying to figure out what the hell it was but knew he could ask Merlin about it later.

"Merlin…I've never seen anything like it!" exclaimed Arthur, who at this point, was speaking from his heart. "You…you really made all of this. This whole place…" he could feel himself tripping over his words for what felt like the tenth time that day.

Merlin watched Arthur, who was now looking around the entire room, like he was searching for his words. The sense of joy that resided within him was overwhelming and for a damn good reason. Arthur was here, appreciating something that he had done. But more importantly, Arthur was here.

"It's something truly incredible, Merlin. You should be proud of yourself. More than that actually." He said as he turned to face the other man with light in his eyes.

"Thank you, only it's not quite finished yet."

Arthur had to do a double-take. He laughed and looked up to the ceiling again. "Not quite finished yet? You must be joking, there's no room!"

"That's never stopped me before. And try looking over there, Sire." Merlin pointed to where he had out the scroll down, next to a gap in the wall. On both sides of the gap lay two worn maps, one of the world and one of the seas. Arthur looked at the gap and then Merlin in confusion.

"I'm not sure I see where you're going with this. It's a blank wall."

"Well spotted, your majesty." Merlin quipped, earning a smiling glance from Arthur. "But not for much longer." With that, he grabbed the scroll that rested against the wall and carefully took the ribbon off, discarding it on the ground.

As if by magic, the scroll rolled out perfectly in front of Arthur. Within seconds, he recognised it as a map. It was a map of Camelot and all of its surrounding villages. The worn paper held great detail in its depictions, right down to the forest areas. Arthur thought he knew what Merlin was planning.

"Oh, I get it. You want to put that on the wall." He said confidently.  
"Erm, not quite? But similar…kind of." There again was old Merlin, not always making sense.  
"Well then, Merlin. What do you plan to do then?" Arthur asked, genuinely intrigued.

Merlin's heartbeat grew faster, he didn't know how on earth to ask Arthur. It was not something he had rehearsed in his time alone.

"Merlin?" Arthur prompted, dreading that Merlin would go into that state again. Thankfully, he didn't. Instead, Arthur watched his warlock smile and eye up the wall.

"How good are you at painting, my lord?"


	7. Secrets of a Warlock - Part 1

"Painting? I thought you knew I wasn't the art type, Merlin." Commented Arthur, giving Merlin a puzzled look.

"I know. Neither am I to be honest, but I thought we could both give it a try."

Now, Arthur was giving Merlin an even more puzzled look. "Neither are you!?" he exclaimed in shock. "Merlin, have you seen your work at all?" Arthur held his palm up to the ceiling of the room. "That's fine art if I've ever seen it."

Merlin stood and listened to Arthur praise of him and was slightly taken aback. He hadn't charted and painted the world above them because he thought he could make 'fine art', he just enjoyed it. The stars, planets and constellations were fascinating to him, more so than his own magic. Which was impressive, considering the beauty that Merlin could create with as little as a flash of gold in his eyes.

"I'm glad you like it, my Lord. I guess years of practise helps. That and a lot of guidance from some art books downstairs."

"Of course. I don't recall painting as one of your natural talents anyway." Arthur remarked jokingly, making Merlin let out a small laugh in return. "So, Merlin, what did you have in mind for us to paint? I assume it's something to do with that map."

"Well done, Sire. I actually wanted to paint Camelot over here." Merlin walked slowly to the blank part of the wall, waving his palm around at it as if Arthur couldn't already tell which part of the wall he wanted to paint. "I thought we could use the map as a guide, in case…you know…we forgot anything." Arthur picked up on Merlin's solemnness after he said that. He briefly thought about Merlin's connection to Camelot and how it was as much Merlin's home as it was his. He knew in his heart that he would do this for Merlin.

"Well, I think that's a brilliant idea." Arthur said, hoping to make Merlin happy. "One problem though, we'll need some paint." He was right, Arthur couldn't see any in the room despite half it being painted.

Merlin pulled his 'forgetful Merlin' face and proceeded to lay the map on the floor. "Whoops, thought something was missing. I always keep some over here." He gestured towards an old, small chest that rested against the dark walls of the room. As Merlin sorted out what paints the pair needed, Arthur's mind wandered to the map in front of him. He observed every word printed on it, the detail of the drawings and how good of a condition it was in despite its age. Arthur knew it was well over 1,000 years old. Like Merlin.

"Merlin?"  
"Yes, Arthur?"  
"When was this map created? I don't think I ever saw one so detailed like this."

Merlin hesitated for a second before answering Arthur's question. He didn't want to freak him out with the answer but decided the truth was best for him to hear. After all, he knew that Arthur would be asking plenty more questions soon.

"The first drafts for it started about 20 years after the Battle of Camlann." He started, rummaging through the chest for a specific colour at the same time. "But it wasn't completed until about 2 years later. It's the most detailed map of Camelot you'll ever find." Once Merlin had found the colour he was searching for, he had a little internal celebration. "I helped to make it, actually."

Arthur listened to Merlin carefully, wanting to clearly hear everything he said. After hearing it, he focused on something that Merlin had said in particular.

Merlin was still in Camelot, 20 years after his death. He was involved enough to help make the map, which he had no doubt was something the council suggested.

But one thing nagged at Arthur. What was Merlin doing in Camelot? He wanted him to be there, of course, to protect the Kingdom and his people with his magic, as well as be around those who Arthur knew cared for Merlin, but he wouldn't have been Arthur's manservant anymore. Did he become an advisor? A member of the council? Did Gaius retire and give Merlin the job as Court Physician? Arthur HAD to know. He was so caught up in his thoughts that he didn't notice Merlin and his cans of paint next to the blank section of the wall.

Placing the last can of paint down, Merlin turned to Arthur. "Shall we get started then?"

The King stared at his warlock for more than a few seconds, which Merlin perceived as Arthur trying to snap out of his thoughts. But Arthur wanted to make sense of all his thoughts first before trying to stop them. He had so many damn questions he thought Merlin could answer. About Camelot in the aftermath of Camlann, what became of Guinevere and his knights, as well as the big question: what the hell happened to Merlin? Arthur decided to go about this gently in case he didn't want to share some things.

"Another one of your great ideas, Merlin." Arthur finally responded to his friend, bending down to pick up the map before making his way to the yet-to-be-painted wall.

The pair of them decided to sketch out some trees first and used pencils to do so. Once they started filling them with various shades of green paint, Arthur decided to ask his first question out of many.

"Merlin? I want to ask you…something."  
Merlin didn't take his eyes off what he was doing when he responded. "Oh yeah? And what would that be, my Lord?"

'This is embarrassing.' Arthur thought to himself. He'd never been so hesitant to ask Merlin anything in his life, he trusted him too damn much. He just didn't want to hurt him.

"What…what happened to you after Camlann? I need to know."

To Arthur's surprise, Merlin pulled a somewhat nostalgic yet sad smile. Like he was remembering something both happy and sad. This comforted Arthur, as in that smile, he saw that Merlin was still his Merlin. The one who was always open to him about things.

"Well, that was a very long time ago, Sire. But I'm sure I can recall a few details for you." He said, giving his King a side smirk as he turned to look at him. "Are you sure you want to know?"

"Yes, Merlin. I want to know what happened to you." He really meant those words.  
"Very well then, Sire." Merlin breathed in as he did earlier, he was ready to tell Arthur everything.

He thought he'd go right from after Camlann. After Arthur died.

"After you…after you died, I couldn't go back to Camelot. Not straight away. I couldn't face everyone."  
"Did you go somewhere?"  
"Yes. To Ealdor. I stayed there for about a year, I needed a lot of time to think."  
Arthur nodded, understanding why Merlin did that. "I'd have done the same."

That meant more to Merlin than Arthur realised. For the longest time, Merlin thought his decision was wrong. But hearing Arthur say that changed his mind.

"I kept in touch with Gaius occasionally, but I was mostly practising."  
"Oh? Practising what?"  
Merlin pulled a proud smile. "My elemental magic."  
Arthur widened his eyes as if he hadn't heard the other man correctly. "I'm sorry, 'elemental' magic?"  
"Yeah. So like water, fire…"  
"You can control them!?" Interrupted Arthur, in awe.  
Merlin paused before saying his next sentence. "Yes, Arthur. I was once told that I was the son of the earth, sea and sky, elemental magic came naturally to me."  
Arthur had processed every word so far, but more was yet to come.  
"That's amazing, Merlin." Was all he could manage at that moment.  
"Thanks. I wanted to be better for when I went back to Camelot. I wanted to protect everyone, to be the best I could be."  
"I'm sure you succeeded at that, Merlin."

A little laugh escaped from Merlin at that remark. Rather cruelly, Merlin really was in his prime after Arthur passed. He worked hard to improve his abilities to ensure that he could protect Camelot and its people the best he could.

The year in Ealdor was full of trips to any nearby body of water, including the Lake of Avalon, so the Merlin could practise raising bodies of water with just his hand. Eventually, he could do it free-handed. When he wasn't near water, Merlin created fire. Large fires to keep the people of his village warm and smaller ones to cook and light torches, all of which were usually started in his palms. His favourite spell with fire was to create things out of it, like the dragon trick he had shown to Arthur.

For a while, Merlin didn't repeat that trick. The last time he did it, Arthur hated him afterwards. It just didn't sit well with him.

When not playing with fire or water, Merlin was mastering the air and earth. He would make gusts of wind appear on clear days and whirlwinds with flowers dancing in them. He moved rocks and boulders by simply holding his hand out, which served him well the time when he found himself lost in an underground cave.

"I guess you could say that." He replied as he smiled at Arthur. "Once I felt ready, I went back to Camelot. Though I didn't really have a plan, so I just sorta went to Gaius."  
"Slipped past the guards, did you?"  
"Easily." Answered Merlin, which sent Arthur into a small fit of laughter. Only Merlin could've slipped past Camelot's best guards with ease. Even he used to struggle to do that unless he knocked them out.  
"When I saw him, he encouraged me to see Gwen, so I did." Arthur then realised that he was going to hear about what became of Guinevere without asking Merlin outright like he had planned, so he gestured for Merlin to keep going.  
"I found out that 6 months before I came back, Gwen had adopted a small boy named Eldon, as the new crown prince of Camelot."

Arthur smiled. That was exactly what he thought Guinevere would have done, bless her. He knew right away that the boy Eldon would have been raised well.

"She raised him well, all the knights helped too. Though, some of them could have been more sensible influences."

Arthur mentally went through all of his knights and who he thought the less sensible influences were. His thoughts landed on Gwaine.  
"Don't tell me – Gwaine."

Arthur watched in horror as Merlin's face fell into sadness. Through Merlin's face alone, Arthur deduced that Gwaine was not involved in Eldon's upbringing.

Merlin set his thoughts clear for him. "I'm sorry, Arthur. But Gwaine passed on not long before you did." The confession made Arthur feel sadness. He knew how much of a blast Gwaine would have had helping raise Eldon, Arthur would always remember him as the courageous knight and friend that he was. Arthur thought Merlin needed that reminder.

"He was a brave man with his heart in the right place, and he was our friend. I assume his passing didn't go unmarked?"

Arthur's words were just what Merlin needed to hear. "Of course not. The knights raised a drink to him, just what they thought he'd like."  
"Ha, just what I thought!"

Arthur and Merlin laughed out-loud whilst simultaneously trying to keep the paint within the lines they'd sketched. Once the trees were filled in, Arthur drew the outline of the castle in the distance whilst Merlin got to work on the surrounding citadel. There was still a lot more to work on.

And a lot more to be revealed.


	8. Secrets of a Warlock - Part 2

The two men switched paint colours and continued on with their masterpiece, or so they called it.

Arthur being Arthur was dying to know more from Merlin, he turned to look at the other man who was just outlining the citadel of Camelot on the wall when another rapid-fire thought crossed his mind. Did Merlin help to raise Eldon? He must have done, surely. He knew Merlin too well. It would be silly to ask.  
He decided to ask anyway, in case that tiny shred of doubt in his mind were true.

"I assume you were there for Eldon too, along with the knights?" Arthur stated as he started to fill in the colour of the castle.  
"Of course, you prat. I would've gone back sooner if I had known. But Gaius never mentioned him to me in our letters."  
"That was odd of Gaius."  
"I thought the same until he told me why."

Without a word from Arthur, Merlin got the impression that he wanted him to carry on. Merlin was slightly worried that letting Arthur know everything in one sitting might be too much for him. But Merlin knew that Arthur knew his own mind. If he wanted him to tell him more, damn right he was going to do it.

"He told me he knew I needed to stay away from Camelot for a bit. Just to get my head together, you know. I won't lie to you, Arthur. I wouldn't have been a great mentor to him if I'd gone back straight away. I was in a bad way."

Arthur gave an understanding nod to his friend. He tried to picture the state Merlin would've been in after he died, burying the thought almost instantly, not wanting to imagine it anymore. He thought that Merlin made the right decision in staying away for a little while.

He decided to talk about something a little lighter. "So, when you went back, you became a mentor to him?"

"Yeah, Gwen made sure Eldon had plenty of mentors. The knights and I were only too keen to be involved." After finishing his sentence, Arthur noticed Merlin smile. It was a one-sided smile that only went to one corner of his mouth, like a devious little smirk. "But a mentor to Eldon was not all that I became."

"Oh really? Let me guess, Guinevere's advisor?"  
"Not by title, but that was one of my jobs."  
"Member of the council?"  
"Try again, my Lord."  
Arthur wracked his brain, then thought of the idea he had earlier. Thinking he had this in the bag.  
"Court Physician." Arthur said, thinking he'd won.  
"Court Sorcerer, actually." Merlin said in an all too casual voice.

Arthur nearly dropped the paintbrush he was holding. After finding his composure, he mentally scolded himself again. How the hell hadn't he thought of that?  
"Court Sorcerer!? You became the…" Arthur couldn't formulate his words properly, which Merlin picked up on.

"Yep. When I went back, Gwen and the knights proposed the idea. They knew about me after Camlann." Merlin decided to continue on as he knew Arthur would just keep asking him to anyway. "I didn't know at first if it was the right thing to do, I kept thinking about what you would've wanted."  
"Merlin…you idiot…of course I would've wanted that for you!" Defiantly expressed Arthur, who had turned once again to face Merlin.  
"That's what we thought, Sire. Idiot and all."  
"I can't believe I missed that."

Arthur tried to imagine what the ceremony would have been like to officially introduce Merlin as the Court Sorcerer. He imagined that Guinevere made sure it was a worthy ceremony, one to remember. After all, he knew how close she and Merlin were. He could see Leon and Percival sat near the front watching proudly as Merlin was formally made into a member of the Court alongside Gaius and of course Guinevere. He knew in his heart as well that Gwaine, Elyan and Lancelot would've been proud too. Gwaine was not one to miss out on a celebration under any circumstance.  
Then Arthur put two and two together and realised something big. If Merlin became the Court Sorcerer, that must have meant that the magic ban was lifted.

"The ban on magic was lifted then?" He enquired to his former manservant, who was filling in the houses of the citadel.  
"It was lifted before I returned." Answered Merlin. "Only those who used magic with wrongful morals were punished, other than that magic was accepted into Camelot's walls."  
Arthur smiled at this revelation. After he had accepted Merlin for who he was and his abilities, Arthur had wanted the ban on magic to be lifted. In truth, it was Merlin that made him see magic in an entirely different light.

Magic was not evil. Only the people who used it wrongfully were. Arthur knew that magic didn't corrupt souls since Merlin was standing right next to him, uncorrupted and himself like he had always been. He understood in his final moments that Merlin was the literal embodiment of magic and he knew how much of a good person he was, despite being a complete dollop-head.  
"I'm glad that happened. I would've wanted that too."

Hearing Arthur say that he wanted him to be Court Sorcerer and wanted the magic ban lifted filled Merlin's heart with shining light. Despite knowing deep in his heart that it was exactly what his King would've wanted for Camelot and himself, the centuries he waited had been filled with doubts. Doubts on whether he had made the right decisions, if other people Arthur had cared about made the right decisions…his paranoia only grew. Merlin eventually learned to control his thoughts and try to move on from them. Knowing full well that sometime in the future he would have to relive them when Arthur came back.  
Now, Arthur was back, and had approved and understood everything that Merlin had told him so far. All the paranoia that had built up inside of him was melting away, he could hardly believe that this was real.

There was, however, one thing that Arthur didn't know about Merlin that he was yet to learn.

Merlin was, and still is, a Dragonlord. The last Dragonlord ever to exist even over 1,000 years later.

In all honesty, Merlin didn't know how to tell Arthur. This was the thing he was most nervous about revealing, he had no doubts about that.  
Regardless of his nervousness, Arthur had the right to know. It might be different this time, Merlin thought to himself. Arthur already knew about his magic and Camelot's changed laws. He only hoped that this next revelation wouldn't ruin everything.  
He turned to see that Arthur had nearly finished filling in his sketch of the castle with light brown paint, which Arthur looked quite proud of. So far, Arthur had kept up with everything Merlin had said and was taking it in remarkably well. That didn't stop Merlin from worrying.

"Arthur?" He started with a voice quieter than what he'd been talking with for the past hour.  
"Yes, Merlin?" Arthur hadn't yet noticed the worry in the other man's voice.  
Merlin breathed out. "There's something more you need to know about me…something important. I'm only sorry I didn't tell you before but there was never a right moment."

Arthur was worried now. What was Merlin talking about? Whatever it was, it clearly was upsetting him, which Arthur had deemed at this point was unacceptable.  
"Merlin, whatever it is, I won't be angry with you."

"I'm not sure about that, Arthur. This is pretty big."

"Are you sure there's more to reveal about you or are you making this up?"

"I promise I'm not, Sire." When Arthur saw that Merlin was being serious, he stopped trying to be funny and let Merlin continue.  
"You see, the thing is…I am more than just a sorcerer."

Arthur gave Merlin a confused look. He couldn't think of anything else that Merlin could be. Now, he was desperate to find out what else he was.  
"I told you that Kilgharrah, the Great Dragon, came to me after you died. He came to me for a reason."

In truth, Arthur had glossed over that detail initially. Only after Merlin brought it up again had Arthur realised how strange it was for a dragon to visit the pair all those years ago.  
"Why did he go to you?" Arthur asked, his full attention on Merlin.

"Hold on, I'm getting there." Merlin quickly thought that he'd let Arthur figure this out himself instead of him outright telling him. He thought that might make a shred of difference.  
Arthur's face only got more confused with every word from Merlin.

"It's to do with my father." Stated Merlin, knowing at last where he was going with this.  
"Your father?" Arthur asked, now more puzzled than ever. "I thought you knew nothing of your father?"  
"I didn't, until I met him. Or rather, until we met him."

Arthur was already speechless and he didn't even have his new Merlin revelation yet.  
"Do you remember Balinor? The Dragonlord we went to find?"  
"Yes…" Arthur suddenly realised why Merlin was bringing this particular adventure of theirs up. "Wait…he was… your father?"

Merlin nodded through a strained face, one that was remembering that adventure and the result they got. "Yes, he was. I only found out the morning we left. I had no idea who he was or that he was even alive until that day."

"Oh, god…I'm so sorry, Merlin. You had to…" Arthur couldn't finish his sentence. Merlin had to watch his Father die before he did. No bloody wonder he was so upset. Arthur felt like an awful friend for not putting two and two together at the time.

"Arthur, it's okay." Merlin produced a small smile for Arthur to reassure him of that. "There's a reason I'm telling you this."  
"What is it, Merlin? Please, I need to know." He said as he looked directly at his friend, almost pleading now. Their painting had been temporarily halted.

"Arthur…Dragonlord's powers are passed on to their children when they die, and Balinor was the last Dragonlord in existence." Merlin finally, yet indirectly, told Arthur his final truth.  
The King thought he might choke on his own breath at what he just realised. He opened his mouth for words but not much came out. "You…you're a Dragonlord?"

Merlin was surprised at Arthur's little reaction. "I am...like my father before me."

"You're a Dragonlord…" Arthur heard himself for the second time and still couldn't quite believe it. "Oh my god, you're a Dragonlord and I didn't know…I'm so sorry, Merlin."  
"What? You don't need to be sorry; this isn't…" Merlin tried before being cut off.

"No Merlin, I am sorry. You were all these amazing things and I didn't even notice. I should've paid more attention."

"Arthur, it wasn't your job to pay attention to me. You had massive responsibilities"

"You're my closest friend!" Arthur was practically shouting now, but not about what Merlin was expecting if Arthur were to shout about anything. "You really are, Merlin. I can't believe my own blindness towards you, I'm so, so sorry. I let you down."

Merlin could see that Arthur was about to have a breakdown, he wouldn't let that happen on his watch.

"Hey, listen to me, your royal pratness." Merlin started off stern to get Arthur's attention and grabbed Arthur's shoulder. "You didn't let me down in any way. The time that we lived in was unaccepting of people like me and that's neither of our faults, Arthur. I meant what I said when I told you that I didn't want to put you in the position where you had to choose between killing me or letting me live. You're my friend too, you know."

Arthur looked at Merlin with glassy eyes, unsure of what to say in response.  
"Do you really think I would've waited this long for you if I felt you had let me down?"

There it was. The thing that Arthur really needed to hear at that moment. He had felt so vulnerable and awful, but those words lifted the guilt off his chest.  
"You mean that?" Arthur said weakly.

Merlin smiled again, this time it was genuine. "Of course I do, Arthur. Every word."

Merlin then received a smile in return. "Thank you, Merlin. For everything." Arthur tried to discreetly wipe his eyes but Merlin saw anyway.

A sense of relief filled the air for both of the men, who were eternally grateful to have the other by their side. They sat in silence for no more than a minute, as Arthur had sunk to the floor before his mini-breakdown. Then, Arthur had an idea to show Merlin just how accepting he was of him. To prove how much Merlin meant to him.

Arthur stood from his place. "You know if you look at this part…" he pointed at an area of the painting that was left of the castle, Merlin's eyes following him whilst still sat. "There's plenty of room for a dragon."


	9. Albion's Greatest Need

When Arthur turned from pointing at the painting, he was met with the biggest and most glowing eyes that belonged to his former manservant. Merlin was practically gleaming with happiness at Arthur's words as he knew it was his way of telling Merlin that he accepted him, which was all Merlin ever wanted.

Arthur was angry with Merlin at first after revealing his magic which Merlin couldn't blame him for. At the time, the warlock feared that his best friend would die never forgiving him and not accepting who he was. What he didn't expect was for Arthur to apologise to him. He said it back then, on their way to Avalon - "I'm sorry about how I treated you." And he had just apologised now for his blindness towards him. The truth was that Merlin would never forget how Arthur had accepted him in the end, it was one of the only things that helped soften the blow immediately after his death.

Now, 1,500 years later, Arthur finally knew that Merlin was a Dragonlord and the warlock could not have been happier whilst staring up into the eyes of his King.

His small laugh was combined with the familiar feeling of tears stinging his eyes, smiling at the blond above him.

"You want me to draw one then?" He said through his laughter, still overjoyed.  
"I think you'd draw a better one than me, Merlin."

"Good point, with what you've done with the rest of the painting I can see why." Typical Merlin, Arthur thought. Never shy of a cheeky remark.

"I'll have you know that's the most I've ever concentrated on drawing and painting."

Merlin leaned over to grab a pencil off the floor and stood up to face the newly decorated part of the wall. "Yes, I can see that." That earned him a harmless punch in the arm from Arthur, like the ones he had received quite often back in Camelot. Merlin had missed those too.

Whilst he sketched a dragon, Arthur added some finer details to their depictions of the citadel and castle with a variety of different paints. The two found themselves talking about some memories of trips they had in the forest. In the middle of doing so, Arthur was suddenly asking himself more questions and decided to ask Merlin once again about his life after he died.

"Merlin, did you stay long in Camelot?" Arthur was ever so intrigued by his friends' stories, he needed to know more.

"I witnessed Eldon become King if that's what you mean."  
Arthur smiled at this. He may never have met this boy himself, but felt strongly connected to him. "I bet that was an amazing ceremony."  
"It was, Gwen put her heart into it. Just like she did for me."  
"Did he make a good King?" Arthur asked, even though he basically already knew the answer. If this child was raised by Merlin, Guinevere, Gaius and the knights he could only have turned out kind-hearted and brave, like every king should be.

"Yes, he was. He continued your legacy and oversaw Camelot come into full prosperity. You would have loved him, Arthur."  
"You're absolutely right, Merlin. I suppose I can only thank you for helping him become that."

Merlin looked at Arthur with another cheeky smile. "Well, I wasn't going to let him become a royal prat like you."  
"Oh really? Well, I'm surprised he didn't turn out looking like a shabby manservant!" Merlin laughed at this, almost ruining his sketch of the dragon. Arthur followed suit with the laughter and almost went out of the lines with paint.

Merlin eventually finished his sketch of a dragon and began to fill it in with dark paint, intending for it to be Kilgharrah. All the while Arthur had moved on to adding finer details to the forest area. It wouldn't be long until the pair had finished their little spec of Albion.

Albion.

Arthur thought back to what Merlin had told him whilst they were on the first floor. In particular, how the great dragon had told Merlin that he would rise again when "Albion's need is greatest." Arthur had no idea what that meant, nor had Merlin let on of any battles that were inflicting nearby. Why had he risen now?

"Merlin? There's something I don't understand." Arthur started; he was becoming more confident at talking to Merlin about these things now than he was when he first started.

"And what would that be?" The other man replied without looking away from his dragon painting.

"You said that I was meant to rise when Albion's need is greatest. What does that mean?"

Merlin stopped what he was doing and gazed at Arthur. "I'm honestly not sure, Arthur. Kilgharrah never made that clear to me." Not that he ever did anyway, Merlin thought silently. "There were loads of times where I thought you'd come back."

Arthur looked up at this, his facial expression telling Merlin to keep going. "There were world wars, illnesses, terrible things that have happened that I thought you would rise for."  
"And you lived through all of that?"  
"I'm immortal, I had to. But I would have lived through it anyway." Merlin said sincerely. Immortality might have been a curse for anyone else, but if it meant Merlin could see Arthur again, he would have waited till the world stopped turning. But Arthur was here now, for a reason that Merlin had not yet figured out.

"What even is there left of Albion?"  
"What do you mean?"  
"Well, from what I've gathered. There's not much left of the Albion I know." Arthur's statement caught Merlin by surprise. In all his years, he never really thought of it like that. How the Albion he and Arthur knew was basically gone. It existed now in their memories and in books around the world.

"I guess there's not really. Camelot exists merely in books now. Some people don't even believe it was real."  
"You're kidding me." Arthur said in disbelief.  
"I'm serious. People nowadays don't even know that magic exists."  
"Really? I find that hard to believe."  
"Really really. From what I know, I'm the last sorcerer to walk the Earth."  
"And the most powerful one at that." Arthur said with a smile, one that intended for Merlin to know that he was proud of him.  
"Well yeah, that too." Replied Merlin with a cocky smile, one that Arthur hadn't seen in ages.

If Albion was gone by land, then what was truly left of it for Arthur to rise for? The only things that Arthur recognised from the Albion he knew were the Lake of Avalon and Merlin. He'd risen out of the lake to see Merlin standing there searching for him, screaming his name whilst ripping the water apart. His heart broke at the sight but was healed after they hugged. Arthur then realised something that he simply had to say out loud.

"Merlin, aren't you…aren't you technically all that's left of Albion?"  
"What? I never thought of it that way…" Merlin's words drifted away as he realised that Arthur may be right.  
"It just seems that, from what you've told me, you may be all that is left of it."  
"That and you, Sire." We are what's left of it."  
"Good point. Perhaps that's what the great dragon meant when he told you about me rising again."  
"Maybe, I'm not entirely sure." Merlin had to turn away to conceal something on his face. He never once thought of it like that. The idea that Arthur would one day rise again for him. Merlin, the only piece left of Albion until Arthur came back. Merlin, the one who had waited longer than anyone for what was without a doubt his soulmate. He tried to stop his self-called crazy thoughts and went to continue his painting.

Arthur noticed Merlin's quick turning away and feared that he'd upset him. So, he tried to get him to talk again. "I still can't believe you waited that long for me."

Merlin smiled despite knowing that Arthur couldn't see his face, knowing exactly what he was going to say next. He turned around to fully look at Arthur who wasn't standing very far away from him.

"Even if you hadn't risen today, I would have waited another thousand years for you. However long it took, I wouldn't have given up on you." Merlin ended his sentence with the most genuine smile he could do, as he meant every word of it. He turned back to finish the last part of his dragon.

Arthur was left standing there, his mouth agape. His eyes flickered between Merlin and their painting which was almost done save for Merlin's dragon.

Arthur Pendragon thought he had himself all figured out. Hell, he thought he had Merlin all figured out back during Camelot's age, but he was proven wrong. It would be a lie to say that he wasn't heartbroken when he found out, he thought Merlin would have trusted him enough to tell him. But alas, Arthur understood in the end why Merlin didn't tell him. He was too damn selfless, not wanting him to make a decision he knew he would find difficult. Merlin wasn't even worried for himself, the idiot.

Arthur Pendragon thought he had himself all figured out. The time they lived in was unaccepting of a lot of things that Arthur felt were unnecessary, especially when it came to his father's rules of knighthood and executions. But there was one, more social rule that Arthur personally didn't pay any mind to as he was growing up until Merlin came along. That a man could love another man.

Arthur had always felt something different when he was with Merlin that he never did with the knights or even Guinevere. That didn't mean to say he didn't love her, but his connection to Merlin was like something he couldn't describe. Even if he didn't always show it, he cared for Merlin deeply. He despised it whenever he saw him hurt or upset and felt an overwhelming sense of protectiveness whenever he was in danger. Of course, all that time Arthur didn't know that Merlin could take more than enough care of himself, that wouldn't have stopped Arthur anyway. He never realised how much seeing Merlin's smile made him happy, sometimes he would even make it his goal to see his beaming smile. Arthur always saw Merlin as his closest and most trusted ally and that hadn't changed in the moments before he passed. He didn't want to say goodbye to Merlin as there were so many things they hadn't done, so many conversations they hadn't had, so many confessions that were left unsaid. Arthur found himself coming to the realisation of something so obvious he was stunned he'd never admitted it to himself before.

"Godamnit." He thought, not meaning it in a bad way.

He was hopelessly in love with Merlin.

"I think we're about done." The sound of his voice drew Arthur back into reality as he watched the raven-haired man step back from the painting.

"Hmm?" Was all he could say in response, his mind still catching up with him.

"I said I think we're done, you clotpole. I finished the dragon." Merlin carefully studied the newly designed wall to see if they had missed anything, but Arthur wasn't looking at the painting.

"Actually, there is one thing missing." In the time it took for a man's heart to skip a beat, Merlin clicked his fingers and held out his palm, only for a flurry of golden sparkles to then be hovering over it. A beautiful jingling sound filled the air from Merlin's palm. Arthur stared in amazement with his mouth still open, not saying a word. He watched in fascination as the man he loved gently raised his palm and allowed the gold dust to set on their picture. Every part of it now glowed with Merlin's magic, which was always a part of Camelot. A crucial part in fact, especially for Arthur, who had now fully realised his feelings for Merlin. Although deep down, he knew all along.  
He could only pray that Merlin felt the same way.

"What do you think?" Asked Merlin, oblivious to Arthur's entrancement of him. When he got no response, he turned to look at the King. "Arthur?"

Arthur stared into the warlock's eyes; they were reflecting the golden hue that now laced the painting. A colour that so suited him it was unreal. The man couldn't put together his words properly. "It's beautiful, Merlin. I…I love it."

"That's our goal achieved then." Merlin said, proud of himself for making Arthur happy. He once again found himself checking over the painting to see if he missed out on any parts with his magic. Although if he had, he thought Arthur would have pointed it out by now.

What he didn't anticipate was what was about to happen next.

Arthur knew he had to confess how he felt but had no idea how to do it. Was he supposed to just…tell Merlin that he loves him? How would he tell him? Just blurt it out randomly? Should he tell him now or later?

Now. He wanted to do it now. After a few more moments of self-deliberation, Arthur Pendragon decided to just go for it and see how it turned out. In terms of Kingly strategies, his plan wasn't foolproof. But Arthur was tired of waiting for something he deep down always knew he wanted.

He'd been given a second chance at life; like hell Arthur was going to let it go to waste.

"You know, I'm glad I came back when I did, Merlin."  
"Oh? For any particular reason, Sire?" Merlin said, fondness clear in his voice.  
"Yes. Otherwise, I would have had to wait longer before I could do this."

Before Merlin could get a confused word in, Arthur had seized the sides of his face and locked him in a kiss that had been long-awaited by both men. Merlin was startled at first, anyone would be, he was being kissed by the King of Camelot! It wasn't long before Merlin melted into it, his feelings for Arthur overtaking him.

Of course, he felt the same way. A blind man could see it. In fact, all of Camelot could see it. Gaius, Gwen, the knights…all of them. Merlin held on to Arthur's face and kissed him back, hoping this wouldn't stop anytime soon. Like their hug when they met again after over a thousand years, or their various hugs in the observatory that Merlin had also desired.

In the midst of it, Arthur felt the need to look at Merlin and slowly drew away. He needed to know if what happened was real, if Merlin had really just kissed him back. The men met eyes; they could feel each other's warm breaths they were so close. All Merlin could do was smile at Arthur, the latter's face in shock.

Merlin let out a small laugh and lightly shook his head, Arthur following his every movement.

"If that's wasn't a thousand years' worth waiting for, then I don't know what was." He uttered softly, a cheeky smile lacing his lips.

After hearing that, Arthur smiled like an idiot and wasted no time in locking Merlin into another one, which was happily reciprocated.

Two sides of the same coin finally became one.


	10. Observatory Days

There were mountains full left unsaid between the pair in their final moments together all those years ago. Arthur knew this, and Merlin knew this.

Arthur finally, finally saw the person that Merlin truly was. He was the man who would do anything for him, the man who protected him at every turn, the man who had to sit there and endure Arthur whenever he went on a rant about magic or when he mistreated him.

As the pair kissed again, Arthur could feel these thoughts and memories coming back to him. All the times he had acted badly towards Merlin flooded his mind and made him feel a pang of guilt. He also remembered how, no matter what, Merlin never left his side. He was always there for him, a constant in Arthur's hectic life as Prince then King of Camelot. Even while he was dying, Merlin was there, despite Arthur initially wanting him out of his sight. But Merlin could never be pushed away, he always came back to him. Although he didn't realise it at the time, that was something that Arthur deeply loved about Merlin. His devotion, his unmatched loyalty.

Arthur had poured his heart out to Merlin in his final moments. He had to let Merlin know how much he meant to him before he died. Arthur had tried to cherish every last moment he had with Merlin, he wanted to take the memories he had with him to the afterlife. He held onto his hair as his last physical act, his way of committing Merlin's face to memory. He had brought himself to say "Thank you." to him right before he died. Those two little words, however, held a much significant meaning when he said them to Merlin at that time, and Arthur knew that.

In the midst of their second kiss, which was lasting a lot longer now that none of them were caught by surprise by the other, Arthur's thoughts were a ravishing mix between the fact that he was kissing Merlin and last words that he had said to him. Arthur couldn't believe himself; it was so obvious that he loved Merlin deeper than he had loved anyone else in his life. Whilst his "Thank you." was genuine, it was full of more compassion than anything he had said before. Arthur found a clear thought at last amidst his otherwise occupied mind:

1,500 years ago, he should have told Merlin that he loved him.

Arthur didn't tell him then, so he had to tell him now.

Merlin felt Arthur slowly pull away again and waited for the clotpole to say something. His own mind was clouded by the fact that Arthur had kissed him. Twice. Merlin could once again feel the hotness of Arthur's breath they were that close, he was sure Arthur could feel his.

Through tears that he didn't even know were forming, Arthur finally broke the silence between the two.

"I love you." He uttered in a quiet voice as if he couldn't truly believe what he was saying. He finished it with one of his radiant smiles that Merlin had fallen in love with.

Merlin felt happy tears come to his eyes. His mouth opened slightly agape. How was it that hearing him admit those three little words was more of a shock than Arthur bloody kissing him? He would never know. Regardless, the moment had, at last, come for Merlin to admit how he had truly felt for God knows how long.

Arthur waited in bated breath for Merlin to say something, anything, in return. As he always did, Merlin came through in the end.

"I love you too, Arthur. I have done for a while." Merlin responded quietly, similarly to how Arthur had spoken when he admitted he loved him. In truth, Merlin didn't care if the whole damn world heard him. He'd shout it from the top of the observatory if he was up there. But for now, he and Arthur were on the third floor with a painting of Camelot in the background and the stars Merlin had charted watching over them.

It was perfection.

Hearing Merlin return his feelings for him sent Arthur's mind into overdrive. Sure, he had kissed him back and that was something beyond incredible but hearing the words come from Merlin's lips was something else entirely.

Arthur let out a joyful and loving laugh, the type of laugh his former manservant was so used to hearing. Merlin formed the biggest and most entrancing smile in return at the sound of Arthur being happy.

For their third kiss, Merlin seized Arthur's lips first. Arthur responded to this gleefully, kissing him back passionately, wanting this to never end.

This time, it was Merlin that pulled away. He needed to take a second to wipe his teary eyes. Arthur took the opportunity to do the same.

Merlin, overcome by emotion, felt his knees buckle and dropped to the ground with his hand covering his mouth.

"Merlin? Are you alright!?" Arthur spluttered in worry; he had followed Merlin down to the ground in a heartbeat. He couldn't tell what was wrong with him.

Merlin sniffled and felt more tears come to his eyes. As he looked up, his crystal blue eyes met Arthur's concerned ones. "I'm fine," Merlin started, which reassured Arthur. "I'm more than fine, actually. I'm just…I'm just really happy. It's just been so long…"

Merlin's tangent was interrupted by a loving embrace from Arthur. He buried his head into Merlin's neck and allowed the tears he had been brewing to stain his cheeks. Something about this hug was different from all the others they had shared that day. It was a good different. Arthur felt Merlin relax into the hug and smiled. Merlin was happy, he was happy. Everything would be alright so long as he had him by his side.

Sometime later, both men found themselves with their backs to the floor. Merlin wanted to show Arthur the best way to look at the stars and planets that he had charted and Arthur had happily agreed to be shown. They lay next to each other and for a minute, nothing was said between them. Their heads were spinning from all that just happened and they needed a breather. Arthur's eyes became locked once again onto the sea of stars above the pair. He started smiling like an idiot when he realised another reason for him falling in love with Merlin. He was just simply amazing. The whole observatory was the finest thing Arthur had ever seen which said a lot considering he was a King in his former life. The best thing about it was that it had been created and maintained by Merlin, his Merlin. Only a person with true talent could manifest something so amazing, Arthur thought. He was like something out of this world.

Whether or not it was conscious, Arthur took a hold of Merlin's hand that was closest to him. Earning a look from the warlock, who didn't mind it at all. Merlin then found some words to say.

"So, you love me then? I must say, I wasn't expecting that." Merlin's voice dripped with sarcasm.

"Oh, please," Arthur started, turning his head to face Merlin. "I think it was fairly obvious by that kiss."

"I suppose so, I guess I didn't really mind it." Merlin replied with a smile that was soon to burst. He then moved his head to face Arthur, which resulted in the men bursting into laughter. It was laughter that only the pair of them only ever heard with each other's company.

Arthur then decided to get a few things off his chest.

"I think…I think deep down, I knew. Even back then. I was just stupid and didn't realise it…" Arthur groaned. "This isn't making any sense, is it?"

"It makes sense to me…" Merlin replied. He then thought he should tell Arthur his side of things. "I figured out my feelings…a while ago."

"You really were waiting for me all this time, weren't you?" Arthur said in a sad voice as he realised that Merlin had to live with his feelings even after he had died.

"Hey, after what we just did, every second was worth it." Merlin stated confidently. He meant it; he would have waited centuries more for Arthur. One major factor in loving someone so deeply is the patience that you have for them. And whilst Arthur could be a massive dollophead at times, Merlin would wait for him until the end of time. He had put his feelings behind him for far too long and now, his patience was being rewarded.

Arthur gave Merlin one of his beaming smiles. "I can't argue with you there." The pair chuckled at that.

Arthur could feel his heart swelling with love for the man that lay next to him. It was a feeling that he was familiar with as he felt it every time he was with Merlin. Only that day had Arthur come to realise that the feeling was love.

"You're the bravest and most extraordinary person I've ever met, Merlin. You know, if I wasn't an idiot and figured out how I felt sooner, there's no way on Earth I could've waited as long as you have. It would have been too painful." Arthur said from his heart.

Merlin felt extremely touched at Arthur's words and decided to respond to him honestly. Because Arthur was right, at times, it was painful. There were moments in the 1,500 years that were more difficult than others.

"I won't lie. There were times when I struggled…but I knew that one day, you would rise again, Arthur. That was what kept me going more than anything else."

"You see? That's exactly what makes you so amazing, Merlin. I hope you realise that." Arthur responded.

"I see it more now than I ever have. That's down to you, clotpole." Merlin uttered in honesty.

"I'm still a clotpole then?" Arthur said, amused.

"Oh, absolutely. But you're my clotpole." Merlin held Arthur's hand tighter and looked at him with a smile. Arthur let out a quick breath and broke out into a small, loving laugh. Without a word exchanged between them, the pair sat up and kissed again. They held onto each other for dear life, overtaken by happiness. They just couldn't help themselves.

The observatory days that followed would prove to be quite unforgettable.

On the same day that they gave in to their feelings, Merlin and Arthur also shared a bed together, much to their excitement. Except when Arthur had seen Merlin's bed in the library, there was something he had to point out.

"Merlin, this is a bed for only one man. I'm not sure I could fit in it." Arthur had told Merlin later that night, clad in a modern-day white shirt with black trousers, and was finally out of his chainmail…which Merlin had giddily taken off for him.

"Trust me, let me tweak it first."

In complete comfort, Merlin uttered a spell in front of Arthur. His eyes flashed gold as his magic got to work. The utterly besotted former King of Camelot and his warlock watched the bed as it widened for two people. Merlin glanced at Arthur to see his reaction, a cheeky smile dancing on his lips.

"Well, that certainly makes things easier." Was Arthur's response to that.

Before the two men drifted off from all the exhaustions of that day, Arthur had so many questions about the modern world. Merlin lay next to him in the bed and answered as much as he could and in exchange, he told Arthur about the places that he'd visited in those 1,500 years.

"I didn't always stay near the lake. There were times when I had to leave."

Arthur was listening with fascination at everything Merlin had told him so far but at this, he became perkier, since it was about Merlin himself. "Where did you go?"

"I guess you could say around the world," Which was true and for a good reason. "Whenever I got wind of any…unusual occurrences anywhere, I'd always check on the place. In case it was magical."

"Oddly responsible of you, Merlin." Arthur joked in response. Merlin pretended to act offended at this and playfully shoved his pillow in Arthur's face. This ultimately broke out a pillow war between the insanely mature adults that they were. Both of them laughing idiotically in the process.

Once the pillow war was over and the bed set back to normal, Arthur had thought that he couldn't get out of his head. As Merlin settled back down to his side of the bed, he vocalised his thought.

"Merlin…these places that you've been to. I want to go to them," Arthur stated. "I mean, would you take me to them? I want to see the world, with you."

Merlin's eyes lit up like the sun and he wasn't even performing a spell. It was an idea he already thought of but had not yet suggested, thinking he might be moving too fast. He was delighted that Arthur had asked him.

Merlin wouldn't just take Arthur to the places he had already been to. He would take him to the most beautiful locations he knew of so they could both experience it at the same time. In truth, Merlin had kept a few places in mind over the years for when his King returned. They were the ones he felt Arthur would love the most.

Arthur wanted to see the world with him. Merlin could've cried again but managed to hold it back.

"Yeah, if you want, it'll be amazing." He finally replied, daydreaming slightly about where they would go.

"Yes, it will." And the pair broke out into laughter again.

Arthur wanted to see the world with Merlin, even if that started out small. So, a few days later, when Merlin told him he needed to get something from the nearby city, Arthur begged that he take him too. Merlin agreed, of course.

The warlock had vocalised that he wanted to get a book with pictures of the most stunning locations on Earth to show it to Arthur, a way of helping the clotpole decide where he wanted to go first.

Arthur found it strange that Merlin lived in a building with the grandest library he had ever seen but he didn't own the book he was after. After questioning this, Merlin explained that the books he kept were mostly old and didn't have many up-to-date pictures. Arthur was satisfied with that answer.

Before reaching the city, Arthur stopped in his tracks. He had paused his journey with Merlin on a hill that gave the pair a splendid view of the 'city' they were going to. Only to Arthur, it looked nothing like anything he had ever seen before. The same feeling that was present when he initially saw the first floor of the observatory bubbled inside of him as he gazed at towering shiny buildings with infinite windows.

Merlin watched Arthur's face take it in. Part of him was worried that the prat may become overwhelmed in the city centre, the other part of him wanted Arthur to experience a little bit of the modern-day world, especially if they were going to travel it.

Arthur had wanted to come, after all.

"Do not leave me for a second." Arthur announced as he turned to face Merlin, who was so caught up in his worries and thoughts that Arthur's voice startled him a little bit. He'd managed to pick up on what he'd said though.

"Believe me, I don't plan to." Merlin gave Arthur a reassuring smile, indirectly saying that he would never leave him. Arthur responded by taking grip of Merlin's left arm and wrapping his own around it.

Merlin blushed.

"Great. Shall we keep going?" Arthur asked rhetorically, a sunlit smile forming on his lips.

Merlin smiled back and nodded; the pair continued along the rural path to the city.

It had been Merlin's day off from his job at the library. So, it was unsurprising when a co-worker of his approached him and Arthur as they were skewering through the many books the library had to offer.

Arthur's method of remaining calm in this strange new place was to focus on Merlin. He usually did that anyway in heightened tensions but even more so now. Merlin had already informed him that this was the place he worked at and so Arthur put two and two together and realised the lady that approached them was a fellow worker.

"Colin?" The lady had said as she walked past the aisle they were in. At first, Arthur assumed she was calling for someone else but then confusingly watched as Merlin turned his focus away from the books to face her instead.

"What are you doing here?" She had asked in a friendly tone. "I thought today was your day off!"

As she got closer, Arthur took note of how different this woman's attire was than those he was familiar with. He tried not to make it obvious that he was looking in case she got the wrong idea.

"It is," Merlin responded to the lady. "I've brought a friend to look around, we're looking for a particular book."

"Ah, well, you're better at that than me, Colin. As you know." She responded with the same friendly tone. She then looked at Arthur. "Hi!" She greeted, very bubbly.

"Oh, hi!" Arthur greeted back, finally being brought out of his little trance.

"I'm Lydia. If you need any help, come and find me. But I'm sure Colin's got this covered."

The more this 'Lydia' referred to Merlin as 'Colin' the more confused Arthur became. He thought he might have misheard her the first time but was now definitely sure that she was saying it deliberately.

"Thanks, Lydia. But I think we'll be good here." Merlin replied, thankful for her offer.

"I'll leave you two alone, then." Lydia said with a smile, a smile that told Arthur that she sensed something more between himself and Merlin.

Once she was gone, the question that was nagging away at Arthur surfaced.

"Why did she call you 'Colin'?" Arthur whispered with a confused voice.

"Ah," Merlin uttered before saying anything else. He knew this would come to light eventually, he had stupidly forgotten to tell Arthur before they left that morning. "I'm kind of…known as Colin round here. 'Merlin' isn't really a common name nowadays…" Arthur could tell there was more to be said and so pulled a face which told Merlin to keep going. "I suppose you could say it's laughed at…"

"What!?" Arthur exclaimed, albeit quietly since they were still in a library. "How ridiculous, 'Merlin' is a fine name."

Merlin found himself blushing again. "Well, I'm glad you think so, prat."

Arthur tried to laugh quietly. "Are you sure it's in this section?"

"I'm sure. There's just so many."

"You can say that again." Pointed out Arthur as he took a sweeping look at the parts of the library that he could see. He then turned back to Merlin. "I thought that Lydia girl said you were good at finding books." Arthur teased.

"I usually am, when there's not a dollophead in my ear." Merlin joked back. "You can look too, you know."

"I'll have you know I've inspected every book of this damn shelf, none of them match the title you're after."

"Well keep looking. I know it's here; I organised this aisle last week!"

"Ah, no wonder we haven't found it." Merlin shot Arthur a glare that tried to be annoyed but looked far too loving to be considered even remotely vexed. He'd so greatly missed their banter.

"Maybe we should get Lydia to help?" Arthur casually suggested.

"No, no I don't wish to bother her. She has enough on her mind." Merlin responded; sorrow echoed in his voice.

Arthur's brows knitted in concern. "Oh? Is she alright?" He may have only just met this girl but Arthur didn't like the thought of anything bad happening to her.

"She is," Merlin started. "But her girlfriend isn't. She's ill, Lydia's been working extra hours to take Cherry somewhere nice when she comes out of hospital."

Arthur blinked. He wasn't sure if he had heard Merlin correctly but he could have sworn he said that Lydia had a girlfriend. Lydia, who was a girl, was courting another woman. Arthur had to make sure what Merlin said was true.

"Her girlfriend?" Arthur uttered, genuinely baffled. He knew that same-sex courting was possible back in Camelot but had never heard of anyone doing it nor had he seen it. Formal, official courting, that is.

"Yes, Arthur. Her girlfriend," Merlin placed emphasis on his last word. "Same-sex relationships are very common these days."

"And the name 'Merlin' isn't?" Quipped Arthur.

Merlin laughed at that. "I guess so, one for the other as they say." He responded jokingly, still rummaging through the shelf they were on.

At Merlin's confirmation that same-sex relationships were common these days and not peered at with Camelot's judgemental gaze, Arthur's found himself with an overwhelming desire to ask Merlin something.

"Merlin, I…" Arthur had futilely begun.

"Ah-ha! Here it is!" Merlin exclaimed as quietly as he could, his excitement overtaking him. A well-kept book with a beautiful cover of a garden was pulled out from its slot on the shelf and into Merlin's eager hands. "We've got it. I just need to check it out and we can head back if you're ready." Merlin looked at Arthur with excited eyes and then remembered that he had tried to say something seconds before. "Sorry, you were going to say something?"

Arthur was so caught up by Merlin's excitement that he paused before answering him. "Oh, no, it doesn't matter…I'll tell you later."

Merlin didn't want to push him. "Okay. You ready to head back?"

Arthur nodded and the pair moved to check out the book at the counter. Merlin felt warm when Arthur took hold of his arm again, he could get used to this.

The moon shone brilliantly on the observatory that same night, it was magnificent. The sky was as clear as anything, meaning Merlin and Arthur could see the stars so brightly they might as well have been on the third floor. Arthur had very originally nicknamed it 'the star room' which Merlin adored so much that he just had to use it.

By candlelight, the two men sat on the unofficial top floor of the observatory. Merlin had lit the candle with his magic, much to the fascination of Arthur. They were flicking through the pages of the book with Merlin pointing out where he'd been and Arthur pretty much going "Yes. There. I want to go there." every time.

Once they'd finished, they found themselves stargazing again. Only this time, they were looking at the real stars. Merlin started to point out some of the ones he knew from the top of his head.

Arthur had been thinking a lot to himself about what he'd learned in the library. He'd been thinking about what he'd nearly asked Merlin before they left and decided now would be the best time.

It didn't need much debate on whether or not it was what he wanted. He'd already kissed Merlin, told him that he loved him, now he wanted to make things…official. At least, official by his book. Although Arthur knew he would be eternally happy with Merlin no matter what they were to the rest of the world.

"Merlin?"

"Mm?" Merlin acknowledged, turning his head to meet Arthur.

"I was wondering…" Arthur began, suddenly feeling a bout of nervousness. Why was he nervous? He'd been rehearsing this since the library. Arthur's mind told him to pull himself together. "…that perhaps, you'd like to…" Every pause just made it worse for Arthur. Merlin stared in anticipation.

Arthur couldn't let his nervousness swallow his words, not after he'd come this far.

Not after he'd come this far with Merlin and somehow manage to not ruin what they had.

"…if you'd like to start courting, with me." As soon as the words escaped his mouth, Arthur's chest felt tight with the breath he was holding onto.

No one would know why, since the answer was so damn obvious.

Merlin didn't answer Arthur directly. Instead, a smile that was so bright and beautiful it could melt the coldest lands came upon his face. Arthur's heart skipped a beat when he saw that damn goofy smile that Merlin had always possessed. Though, it still wasn't an answer to his question.

He would get his answer, in a better way than just by words.

Merlin seized Arthur in another kiss which was joyfully returned by the other man. In the short time that they'd been doing it, Arthur had found that being kissed by Merlin was his all-time favourite thing. On it went, accompanied by the moon, the candlelight, and the gentle noise of the Lake of Avalon below them.

When Merlin finally pulled away, his eyes were a shiny mix of blues and bore the reflections of the stars above. He stared deeply into Arthur's eyes, the same way he had when Arthur had first kissed him. The hand that was touching Arthur's face moved in a gentle, loving manner. Arthur returned this gesture with another one of his sunlit smiles that Merlin so incredibly adored. Until finally, one of them spoke.

Merlin let out a small, fond laugh. "Is that a good enough answer for you?" He said almost in a whisper.

The uncertainty bubbling up inside of Arthur withered away. He felt as if he was in a whole new life. Well, technically he was, but this life was better. It was like the one he had dreamed of back in Camelot. A farm with just him and Merlin. And while the observatory wasn't quite a farm, it was better than anything Arthur could've fathomed.

"Yes, it is. Better, actually." Arthur replied in confidence he hadn't felt since before 1,500 years ago. He wasted no time in pulling Merlin in for another kiss upon realising he finally had everything he ever wanted.

The golden sparkles that danced on the painting of Camelot glowed brighter that night and continued to do so every second that Merlin and Arthur spent in each other's company.

The observatory days that followed would prove to be quite unforgettable in more ways than one. They wouldn't be forgotten for many lifetimes to come.

Two sides of the same coin shared their long-desired life together, loving the other in the way that they had always wanted to. Albion's greatest need had, at last, been fulfilled…

…and destiny had never tasted so sweet.


End file.
